Library Rules

In accordance with Act No. 257/2001 Coll., referring to rules for running public library and information services (Library Act), we issue the following regulations.

Article I - Fundamental Stipulations
Article II - Library Users
Article III - Binding Library Regulations

Article IV - Library Services

Article V - User Rights and Duties

Article VI - Library Membership

Article VII - Library Loans on the Premises

Article VIII - Outside Loans

Article IX - Deposits, Compensation

Article X - Library Opening Hours

Article XI - Final Stipulation

Article XII - Validity of the Library Regulation

Article I

Fundamental Stipulations

The library is open to the public as an information service for those who specialize in fundamental research in economics and are establishing theoretical bases for devising economic policy. Furthermore, it serves students engaged in graduate economics programs which are closely linked to the goals and specializations of the Center for Economic Research and Graduate Education of Charles University and the Economics Institute of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic (further referred to as CERGE-EI).

Article II

Library Users

The library serves the following categories of users:

  • Category A – Matriculated CERGE-EI students.
  • Category AA – Non-matriculated (special program) CERGE-EI students, sponsors.
  • Category AVIP – CERGE-EI permanent and visiting faculty and researchers, employees.
  • Category AUK – Students and faculty from other units of Charles University.
  • Category AAV – Researchers from other units of AV CR.
  • Category ALM – CERGE-EI Alumni.
  • Category B – Students and faculty from other schools, universities, and research institutes in the Czech Republic.
  • Category D – Students and faculty from schools, universities and research institutes outside the Czech Republic.
  • Category G – General public.

Article III

Binding Library Regulations

  1. These stipulations regulating the activities and services provided by the library are binding for all employees and users.
  2. These library regulations are supplemented by internal regulations concerning the operation of the library.
  3. The director of the library can consider exceptions to loan regulations.
  4. Claims and proposals regarding library activities and services can be submitted to the director, either verbally or in writing.
  5. Non-adherence to library regulations is punishable by sanctions (see Supplement 1) and provides grounds for temporary (for a one-time violation of the regulations) or permanent suspension of one's right to use library services.
  6. Temporary or permanent suspension of the right to use library services does not absolve the user from the responsibility for and compensation of damages caused by violation of the regulations. These damages are to be determined according to valid legal norms.

Article IV

Library Services

The CERGE-EI library offers public library and information services. These include:

  1. Loan services: loans on the premises, loans of materials to be checked out of the library (outside loan)
  2. Inter-library loan service and international inter-library loan service (ILL and IILL).
  3. Bibliographic, information, and reference services:
    • consulting services (information about catalogues, collections, and utilization of the library)
    • reference service: information about the accessibility of information sources within the library, and within the Czech Republic and abroad regarding sources within the library’s scope, including information retrieval and Internet access
  4. Electronic services
  5. Promotional services, instructional sessions about the library, organization of workshops
  6. Photocopying services on a self-service basis
  7. Special services

The Library offers its standard services free of charge. The library may require cost compensation for administrative tasks related to library user record-keeping and for specialized services according to their real costs. A deposit may be required for these services.

Article V

User Rights and Duties

  1. The library provides all services free of charge to CERGE-EI members, with the exception of the real cost of ILL and IILL.
  2. Disabled persons are entitled to free services as well with the exception of the real cost of ILL and IILL.
  3. Users of the library are obliged to comply with copyright Act No. 121/2000 Coll., on Copyright, Rights Related to Copyright, and the Amendment of Certain Laws (the Czech Copyright Act).
  4. Library users are obliged to comply with the license agreements of all electronic sources accessible on the CERGE-EI LAN or through registered remote access. Any data obtained may be used only for the purposes of teaching, research and study. The following are specifically prohibited: large-scale downloading of data that exceeds individual usage, copying or using obtained data for the benefit of a third party or for commercial purposes, and downloading complete volumes of journals. Copyright information included by the database owners may not be obscured or removed.
  5. Failure to observe the database license conditions may result in sanctions (according to the conditions of the individual electronic resources producers). It may also lead to immediate termination of membership in the CERGE-EI library.
  6. Users must be considerate of others and follow instructions from the staff member on duty at all times. On entering the library, the user shows her or his library card and must leave his or her coat and bag(s) in the designated place. Users may use books, journals and other freely accessible materials. Borrowed materials must be returned to the librarian on duty. Smoking and eating are prohibited in the library.

Article VI

Library Membership

  1. A person becomes a library user as soon as he/she is registered and has been issued a library card. The issuing of a library card is subject to the submission of a valid identity card and a completed application form (see point 4 below).
  2. By signing the application form, the user pledges to respect the stipulations contained in the library regulations and agrees to the addition of his/her personal information to the library database.
  3. The library treats personal information in accordance with Act No. 101/2001 Coll., referring to personal data protection.
  4. Issuance of a library card is subject to the submission of a valid identity card (see below) and a completed application form.
    a) Citizens of the Czech Republic must submit a valid identity card and other documents proving their eligibility.
    b) Citizens of other states must submit a valid passport and other valid documents proving they hold long-term residency in the Czech Republic.
    c) Citizens of other states without a residency permit (or with a permit for less than six months) may borrow materials (outside loans) upon payment of a refundable deposit.
  5. Library cards are not transferable. They are issued subject to payment by the user and are valid for 6 months or one year from the date of issue. When a library card expires, it can be renewed through the same initial process stated above, after the library has ascertained that the user has not violated library regulations in the previous period.
  6. The user to whom a card is issued is responsible for its use. In the case of a collective user, the authorized representative bears the responsibility.
  7. The user must immediately report the loss of a library card to the library. Fees will be charged for issuing a new library card.
  8. Changes regarding the personal data of the user or the authorized representative (collective user) - e.g. long-term study stay abroad, premature termination of a study program, a change of employment/employer, etc. - must be reported immediately.
  9. If the library is forced to search for such data on its own, or if some damage is caused by such changes, the user must compensate the library for the costs incurred.

Article VII

Library Loans on the Premises

  1. The entire library collection is available for reading on the premises.
  2. The following are lent for on-premises use only:
    a) publications to which there is a threat of irreplaceable loss or irreparable damage (a unique publication),
    b) reference literature,
    c) newspapers,
    e) electronic databases.

Article VIII

Outside Loans

  1. With the exception of materials specified in Article VII point 2, the following publications on open shelves can be checked out:
    a) books in the long loan category, to users of all categories for 4 weeks.
    b) “overnight” materials (to be returned by 11:00 on the following weekday) and a “week loan” for category A and AVIP users. Statistics can also be loaned to category AAFSV users overnight (to be returned by 11:00 on the following weekday).
    c) semestral literature pertaining to CERGE-EI course materials can be loaned to category A , AVIP, and AAPREP users for the entire semester.
    d) grey literature of all categories for 4 weeks (with the exception of the last two years).
  2. The loan period may be extended by the library category A and AVIP users or reduced for other users, according to the needs of CERGE-EI. However, loan conditions are applicable to everyone, with a minimum guaranteed loan time of 3 days.
  3. A loan may be renewed twice for a period of two weeks in person, by e-mail, or by telephone. Loans of publications that have previously been reserved cannot be renewed. Priority is given to category A and AVIP users.
  4. A user may ask to be put on a waiting list to borrow a book. The library will reserve the book for 1 week at most.
  5. The user must check the state of borrowed publications and report any flaws he/she finds. Having borrowed a publication, s/he bears the responsibility in case of damage, depreciation or loss.
  6. When loaning materials, the library may demand a deposit if there are sufficient grounds to do so.
  7. In the exceptional case that a user returns a publication by post, s/he must package it safely and send it by registered post.
  8. If the loan time is exceeded by the user, s/he will pay the fine determined in Supplement 1. This applies even if a reminder has not been sent. If the user is sent a reminder requesting books be returned, the user must also pay for that reminder. After the third reminder, legal action will be taken.
  9. No item belonging to the library may be taken outside the Czech Republic except by special permission from the librarian.
  10. Information on loans is stored in the library information system in electronic form. By signing the application form, the user agrees to respect the information stored in the system as valid documentation of his/her loans, and to take responsibility for any loss of library items registered in the system under the users' name.

Article IX

Deposits, Compensation

  1. When loans are made in absentia, the library may require a guarantee that the book will be returned by requiring a deposit to be paid in cash to the library. The receipt slip entitles the user to reimbursement from the library upon return of the loaned book. The amount of deposit will be determined by the librarian or library director.
  2. When a book is damaged, destroyed or lost, the user is required to provide compensation in one of the following forms:
    a) an undamaged copy of the work in the same edition in a binding of a similar quality,
    b) another edition of the work or another work of roughly the same value and importance for the library collection,
    c) financial compensation equal to the current value of the work.

Article X

Library Opening Hours

The director of the library stipulates the times when the library is open with the agreement of the director of the institute.

Article XI

Final Stipulation

  1. Supplement 1 "Amounts of Fees and Sanctions" is an integral part of the "Library Regulations."
  2. The Library Regulations are issued by the director of the library.
  3. The Library Regulations are made public in a suitable form.

Article XII

Validity of the Library Regulation

These Library Regulations come into effect on the date they are undersigned.


Prague, 05.01.2007